inside the mets How Jeremy Hefner looks back on his Mets downfall now that he’s succeeding with Braves By Mike Puma Published June 12, 2026, 6:40 a.m. ET Braves pitching coach Jeremy Hefner visits with starter Bryce Elder during a game against the Pirates on June 7, 2026. AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser Jeremy Hefner is enjoying his new life in the NL East.
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Fired as Mets pitching coach after last season, Hefner will return to Citi Field on Friday with a Braves team that owns MLB’s best record. Much of the club’s success stems from a pitching staff overseen by Hefner that, as of Thursday, held an MLB-best 3.20 ERA.
Hefner isn’t looking back (too much), but told Sports+ on Thursday that he was as culpable as anyone for the pitching staff’s free fall last season that played the largest factor in the Mets missing the playoffs.
Kodai Senga, David Peterson and Sean Manaea all floundered after the All-Star break following a pitching surge that carried the Mets into late June.
